You can’t expect new legislation to become too prescriptive, especially in the changing world of telecommunications. That’s why legislation like this will always be worded carefully so that what is not said is more important than what is said.

In today’s Twisted Wire I look at what the NBN Bills stipulate and what’s left out:

It seems clear now that a big company, if it arms itself with a carrier licence, could have a direct retail relationship with NBN Co.

There is still a lot of confusion around provisions to avoid cherry picking. You’ll have to provide open access if you build last-mile fibre infrastructure, but what pricing restrictions will apply?

Despite the aim of pricing equity, NBN Co can discount prices and there seems little to suggest how this will be applied and controlled.

There is no requirement for NBN Co to offer more points of interconnect, even if local market conditions would suggest it was in the public interest.

To discuss these issues you’ll hear from a variety of people in this week’s Twisted Wire podcast:

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ABOUT PHIL

Phil Dobbie is a broadcaster and writer, with a wealth of business experience behind him too. He was a partner in an ad agency, he's been the marketing head at various technology companies and ran the Australian operation of the British Tourist Authority.

But his real love is the creation of content - as a journalist for ZDNet and others. He likes to spend time behind the microphone, creating radio shows and podcasts - he's done thousands of them, for CBS, National Australia Bank, BBC and CommsDay.

He's available to present radio shows and produce podcasts. Or any other exciting projects that come along.